Bread slicing machine



Aug. 18, 1942. P. G. scHLsMMER BREAD SLICINGYMACHINE 4 shets-shee't 1 Filed' Jan. 7. 1939 INVENToR v I r ,gg X6 PI'I GJM/emmer 4 BW ATTORNEY Angl-18,1942. PfGQscHLEMMER l, 2,293,083

BREAD SLICING MACHINE I Filed Jan. 7, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 jp 4, a

ATTORNEY Aug. 18, 1942.-V P. G. scHLEMML-:R '2,293,083

BREAD SLICING MACHINE- Filed Jan. 7, 1939 4 sheets-sheet s r12.5. /22 l 22]' M4 J2? fig f2? NVENTOR ATTORNEY Angle, 1942.y

) F` G. lSCHLEZMMER BREAD SLICING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed lan. 7. 1939 NNN NMX

lNvENfoR fm han .7L 1n PW?,

Patented Aug. 18, 1942 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE BREAD i SLCING MACHINE Phil G. Schlemmer, Nanuet, N; Y., assigner to i American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application January 7, 1939, Serial No. 249,698

(Cl. A1216-88) 7 Claims.

angle with the infeed` table to slice the loaves from the top forward corner down through the loaf which has been found to be more efficient. Each endless band `is constrained to move in such apath that it hastwo operative laps, `one traveling up and one down, as itmoves over its supporting drums which are so arranged that a clear space is available at one end for the insertion. and removal of the bands. the cutting zone, atvthe rearcf `the blades and above and below the table, arelocated pairs of rollers whichiback .up .the moving blades without rubbing thereon to avoid wear. The loaves are pushed throughthe blades by a chain conveyor,

the pushing fingers of Which are arranged to.

fold back and drop out of theway of the saw blades as the loaf completes its passage through them.

Adjacent.

A further object is to stop .the machine in the eventJ of breakage of a band. To this end, safety fingers bearing against each saw band are associated with anovel clutch mechanism which automatically stops the machine in case of breakage of the bands. Individual contact or tension rollers are provided `to keep the blades at the proper tension, these rollers being so mounted in a novel manner that they can be.

quickly moved out of the Way as a unit when replacing bands, which. constitutes another object of the invention. The bands are guided through the cutting zone by racks or combs above and below the same, which arev adjustable relatively to each other and mountedon the holders of the above mentioned blade backing' rollers so that they can be moved out of the way simultaneously therewith in accordance with still another object of the invention. These racks consist of vertically slotted fingers spaced,

to produce the desired'thickness of `the slices and cause the 'bands to turn from the fiat position `gon/ling from the drums to the edgewise position with their` cutting edges facing the oncoming loaf.

Still another object is to `provide novel mechanism for varying the spacing of the `operative runs of the saw bands to produce therequisite thickness of slices. Inthevarious constructions forfthis purpose ,illustrated herein-thevertically slotted guides arelseparable to effectauniform spacingY of theV saw bandsoutwardly'from the central band saw throughoutthecutting region.4

Auxiliary objects are the provision ofadjustments` of the tension rollers and feelers or fsafety fingers to compensate for adjustments of theA band saws.

Another important object `is to facilitate theY adjustment of the band saws, following the retractionof the tension rollers and the setting of.

the .saw :band `guides in `theiposition requisite. for the' desired.' thickness of` slice, by temporarily tensioning the bands and driving .them to permit the guides` to shift them into `the desired position. With these and other objectslnotY specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists incertain constructions andlcornbinations hereinafter :fully describedand then specifically set forth `in the claimshereunto appended.

In the accompanyingdrawings .which forma part of this speciiicationand iniwhichlike char.

acters :of reference indicate the samev or` like parts:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved` slicing machine showing .the arrangement of` the` saw blades-and the associated guiding and safety devices;

Fig. 2 .is a plan View ofthe flower supporting drums and backing rollers, shownk from line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig.. 3 is a .top plan view ofV the upper supporting :drum and blade `backing .rollerswitha portion .of the .automatic safety device; shown rom. line 3 3 ofFig. l;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail View on line 4--4 of Fig., 3, showing the latch `forthe'safetyfln-v Fig. 5 is an end View of theA same on line 5---5Y of Fig. 4;

Fig. `6 is a detail View on line 6--6 of Fig". 1, showing the tension rollers for. the band saws;

Fig.. '7 is a side .View on line `'1 -'l of Fig. 6, showing the retainingmember for the tensionsawsV and maintaining vasingle predetermined.

spacing thereof;

Fig.. 10 is a plan vievv` onl an enlargedfscale of an adjustable blade guide rack. to` be used.

in place of the permanently spaced rack shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a sectional side elevation on line II-II of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a sectional end elevation on line |2-I2 of Fig, 10;

Fig. 12a is a side elevation showing a device for adjusting the idle bands thereof;

Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the preferred form of tension roll adjusting device;

Fig. 14 is an end elevation, partly in crosssection, on line |4-I4 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a partial end elevation seen from line |5-I5 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 16 is a cross-section on line IIS-I6 of Fig. 14.

Fig. 17 is a cross-section, on lines I1-I1 of Fig. 14;

CTL

Fig. 18 is a cross-section, on lines |8-I8 ofA Fig. 14;

Fig. 19 is an enlarged View of the sectional portion of Fig. 14, showing the positions of the working parts when set for thin slices; and

Fig. 20 is a similar View showing their positions when set for thick slices.

Referring to Figs. l, 2 and 3, the bands I5 are strung around three upper drums or pulleys I6, I1 'and I8, mounted on shafts I9, 20 and 2|, respectively, and around three lower drums or pulleys 22, 23 and 24, mounted on shafts 25, 26 and 21, respectively. The driving drum 22 is connected by a V-belt 28 running over a pulley 29 on its shaft 25 to a pulley 39 loose on a jack shaft 3| and carrying a grooved disk 32 having a notch adapted to engage a roller 33 carried by a spring tensioned lever 34 pivoted on a pulley 35 fast on shaft 3| which is continuously driven by a V-belt 36 from a motor 31.

The shafts I9 and 29 of the upper drums I6 and I1, and the shafts 25 and 21 of the lower drums 22 and 24 are supported at one end n bearings in the front wall 38 of the main frame of the machine and at the other end in separate bearing brackets 39 and 40 attached by strong horizontal arms 4| and 42 to the front wall 38, so as to leave a free space between the brackets 39, 40 and the rear wall 43 of the machine. In order to relieve the stress due t0 the overhang of the brackets 39 and 48, additional bearings 44, 45, 46 and 41 are provided in the rear wall 43, these bearings carrying studs 48 with bayonet joint couplings 49 which can readily be brought into engagement with radial pins 58 in the respective shafts by pushing hand wheels 5I fastened to the outer ends of studs 48 against the pressure of coil springs 52 on the studs but it is contemplated the additional bearings may be dispensed with. Vibration of the bearing brackets 39 and 40 is minimized by pressing a pointed nipple 53 on the end of a screw 54 in rear wall 43 into a depression 55 provided near the centers of the bearing brackets. The shaft 2| of the drum I8 and the shaft 26 of the drum 23, which do not interfere with the removal and insertion of the saw bands on the drums I 6 and I1 and drums 22 and 24, respectively, are supported in the walls 38 and 43 of the main frame, passing across the space provided for the entrance of the bands.

Near the top of bracket 39 a horizontal shaft 56, extending between bracket 39 and front wall 38, carries loose fingers 51 bearing against the lower faces of the upper runs of the bands I5 by the pressure of springs 53 anchored to a cross rod 59, between wall 38 and bracket 39 and attached to downward extensions 60 of the lingers 75 51. The extensions 60 play in slots of a spacing guide or comb 6I attached to end wall 38 and bracket 39, two diiferent spacings being provided, one in the forward and one in the rearward side of guide 6I which can readily be reversed with the other spacing to compensate for adjustments of the saw bands for different thicknesses of slices. On studs 62 on the interior faces of front frame 38 and bracket 39 are pivoted links 63 which carry a bar 64, the two bars 64 supporting between them a rod 65 juxtaposed to the spring tensioned extensions 60 of the iingers 51. One of the bars 64 carries a cross piece 65 upon which rests a latch piece 61 fastened to a vertical rod 68 sliding in a bearing 69 on front wall 38. The rod 68 is pivoted to one arm of a bell crank lever 10 turning on a stud 1I in the frame of the machine, the other arm of lever 'I0 carrying a roller 12 engaging with a lever 13 fulcrumed on a stud 14 and held in tension against roller 12 above the path of clutch lever 34 by a spring 15. The lever 13 is adapted to engage with a clutch lever 34, when released the roller 33 of which is held in driving engagement with a clutch disk 32 by a spring 16 anchored on disk 35, whereby the machine is braked and immediately stopped.

In case of breakage of one of the saw bands I5, the particular finger 51 bearing against that band is released, permitting the respective spring 58 to pull the corresponding arm 60 against the rod 65, thereby moving the bars 64 into the dotted position shown in Fig. 1. In this position the cross piece 66 releases the latch 61 permitting the rod 68 to drop. The weight of rod 68 is suicient to overcome the tension of springs 15 and 16. Hence the lever 1D depresses the arm 13 into the dotted position wherein it engages the pawl 34 and withdraws the roller 33 thereof from disk 32,` and the drive pulley 30 stops, immediately bringing the machine to rest.

Upon removal of the broken band, the nger 51 is brought back into its normal position by turning a rod 11 supported between front wall 38 and bracket 39. This rod (Figs. 4 and 5) carries a fixed lock piece 18 extending across the minimum cutting region of the band saws and normally out of engagement therewith and has a number of separately adjustable lock pieces 19 on each side of the minimum cutting region corresponding to the shortest loaf and thinnest slice to be operated on. The rod 'II is provided with a handle which by a pin 8| can be maintained in either of two positions ninety degrees apart. When the machine, at the time of breakage, is set for the thinnest slice when all the bands are in use, as in Figs. 2 and 3, a new band is strung on the drums from the end nearest the empty space and the running tension on the remaining bands is released, as will be described hereinafter. All bands to the outside of the empty space are then placed one space inward on the blade guides |08 and IUI to ll the empty space. The bands are then temporarily placed under tension. by raising a long roller |28 into engagement with them through the agency of a lever |29 which normally is in the full line position shown in Fig. 1. The roller I 28 swings on a shaft I 38 supported within the walls 38 and 43 and is held in either of its extreme positions by a snap pin in lever |29 engaging with holes I 3| provided in wall 38. The lock piece 18 is then returned to its vertical position shown in full lines in Fig. l, and into working position, thereby restarting the band drive. After a. couple of revolutions, when thebands havestraightened out into theirfproper places on the drums,

they are again placed under individual tension, whereupon the roller is returned'to itsneutral position.

When the machine is set for thick slices as shown in the lower halves of Figs. 6 and 9,70139 or more of the `bands will run on the drums outside of the cutting region. Hence, in case of breakage, the nearest idle band is moved Vinto place. In rthis case there will thusA be an empty idle space with a corresponding unopposed nger 5l. To hold this nger in Working position, without throwing out`the clutch, one ofthe separate lock pieces "I9 provided on rod 'H is turned back through ninety degrees after locking piece IB-has been returned into neutral position.

Bearing against the lower face of the lower run of each of the bands l5 near the upper main drive I5 there is a series of tension rollers 82 turnngcn studs 03 in a corresponding number of holders 85| (Figs. l and 6). The holders 84 are loosely mounted on a shaft 85 carried in arms 90 fast on a shaft 81 supported in side walls 38 and 43j From the hub of each of the holders B4 projects radially a pin 80 which enters one of the slots of a vertical comb-shaped spacer 09 and reversible and detachable therefrom, supportedbetween extensions 9E! of the arms 85. Arms 9| extending downwards from the hubs of the holders 80 have pivoted thereon threaded rods 92 passing through slots of a rail 93 (Fig. 7) aixed'to flats on shaft 81, the rods 92 carrying springs 94 bearing against nuts threaded thereon and seated against the rail 93 for pressing the wheels 02 against the bands l5. To the shaft 8l is afxed a handle 95 which can be locked by a snap pin 96 in either of two holes 91 in the end wall d3, handle 95 in its upper position swinging the entire tension wheel system out of engagement when required for the removal or replacement of bands. i

In Fig.y 8 the construction of the spacer 89 is shown one edge being slotted for thin slices, corresponding to the edge which is uppermost in Fig. 6, and the other edge 99 for thickslices, corresponding to the edge which is lowermost in Fig. 6. When changing the machine from thin to thick slices, the spacers and 09 are reversed and the set of band guides having the spacing shown in the upper half of Fig. 9 is replaced by a set having the spacing of those in the lower half thereof. If desired, a spacer similar to the comb 99 may be employed for separating the band guides; and the bands not used for cutting the thick slices are placed into the slots at either end of the comb, which have a closer spacing outside of the cutting range and may be employed for cutting in case of breakage of one of the bands.

Above and below the infeed chute of the loaves L, are located two similarly arranged blade guides |00 and lill, the top view of the upper guide |00 being shown in Fig. 9. On two shafts |02 supported between vertical brackets |03 are a plurality of vertically slotted guide members |04, two for each band l5, either made in one piece as shown at |05 in Fig. 9,` or of two pieces spot welded together, or to a 'base (not shown) as shown at |00. For thinnest slices all the guide spices |012! are mounted on the shafts |02y in contact with one` anotheralong the entireV cutting region of theband drums, and spacing sleeves |01` areplaced and the brackets |03 Aas shown inthe upper half of Fig. 9. For thick slices the individual guides are assembled with spacing collars |08 of the proper thickness between them within the cutting region, as shownA in the lower half of Fig. 9. The guide pieces for the bands outside the cutting region may be placed closely together adjacent the brackets |03, with a guide collar l|09 between them and the outermost band guides of the cutting region. The. brackets |03 are horizontally adjustable lengthwise of the band guides on the horizontal brackets H0 mounted on the side wall 38 and d3 and carry backing rolls spaced slightly from the rear edges of the blades I5 above and below the infeed chute which resist the thrust of the loaves on the bands. The upper guide |00 is also vertically adjustable for different heights of loaves, the horizontal brackets H0 being clamped to plates ||2 through vertical slots of the side walls, Fig. 9.

Starting at the top, each band l5 is looped over the drums l0 and il, then inserted into one vertically aligned pair of guides |00 and |0|, looped in turn around the lower drums 24, 22

rand 23, and iinally inserted into the next vertical pair of guides I0! and |00, one pair of upper guides |00 and the corresponding pair of lower guides |0| being provided for each saw band so that cutting edges of both runs of each band will face the loaves. When all the band 'saws have been positioned on the drums and guides, the tension rollers are swung into operative position, thus drawing the band saws taut against the rolls I8 and 23.

The bread loaf L is pushed against the cutting edges ofthe bands i5 and through the bands by fingers H3 pivote'd at spaced intervals to the links of an endless chain i# driven by a sprocket H5 on a shaft l0 below the lower blade guide |0| and near the cutting plane of the bands l5, Fig. 1. The saw bands are disposed at a suitable acute angle to the path of the loop to initially cut the forward front corner of the loaf and cut down through it on a bias. An angle of 34 degrees has been found satisfactory. The pusher fingers H3 have rollers ||1 resting on a cam between the "outer-most g guides 01|` 7 5 track ||8 supported by shaft |50, this cam track being so shaped that the rollers lll drop away from the loafV and permit the fingers ||3 to swing back'as the loaf completes its passage through the saw bands. Attached to the brackets |03 of the lower guide rack H0 is a roller IIB so placed that the loaves on leaving the blades engage the same and are subjected to thevibration caused by its turning, thereby shaking on the bread crumbs carried along by the sliced loaf. TheseY crumbs may be collected in a suitable receptacle and disposed of from time to time, or may be continuously carried out of the machine by a screw propeller or` other suitable means.

Instead of providing a separate permanently spaced guide rack |00, lei for each thickness of slice desired, an adjustable blade guide such as shown in Figs. l0 to 12 may be employed. The slotted guide members me, which as stated before are slidably mounted on a pair of shafts |02 supported by brackets |03, are in this case also fastened on .transverse bars |20, one bar for each guide member. Each bar has upwardly extending-prongs i| for the reception of one of the guide ,members which is welded between them so that all guide members |04 lie across the` tops of bars |20 with the proper spacing. The bars |20 are longitudinally slidable in a channel shaped holder |22 and the prongs |2| are so dimensioned and spaced that in the innermost position of the bars |20 the slots in the guides |04 have the proper spacing for the thinnest slices to be cut. The brackets |03 are attached to holder |22 which is slidably supported on the brackets for lengthwise adjustment of the guides. The displacement of the shifter bars |20 is limited by a cross pin |23 in holder |22, each bar having a longitudinal slot |24 of the proper length to permit the corresponding guide to be shifted only to its exact position for the thickH est slices to be cut by the machine. The central bar |25 which must always be in the center of the loaf L, has a circular hole to iit the pin |23 so that it cannot be moved. The two bars immediately adjoining the center bar |25 have slots permitting only a movement equal to the diiTerence between the thinnest and thickest slices to be cut, therslot in the bar at one side of bar |25 permitting motion to the left and that in the bar at the other side, motion to the right. The next bar on each side has a longer slot, permitting a movement equal to twice the difference between the thickest and thinnest slice and the length of the slots in the successive bars increases in same ratio, the outer bars having slots permitting movement equal to as many times the difference of the slice thickness as there are bars on each side of the center bar |25. Near one end of each shifter bar a horizontal notch |21 is cut in such a position that all slots |21 are aligned when the bars are half way between the extreme positions permitted by the slots. Thus, the guides |04 can be readily placed in three different band saw spacing positions: for minimum or maximum thickness of slices, by pushing the shifter bars |20 to the respective ends of the slots |24, and the medium thickness of slices by aligning the :slots |21 by pushing a bar through them, across the top of holder |22. The bars have a sliding it with their holder such that they will retain their adjusted positions without displacement. If desired, a tool (not shown) may be used for separating the bars to obtain the desired slice thicknesses.

It may be noted that the lower blade guides |04 have at upper faces which engage the bottom of and support the loaves as they are advanced through the band saws. Likewise the supports of the upper blade guides may be preferably reversed to permit their flat upper faces to engage the tops of the loaves to prevent displacement thereof.

To enable the idle end bands (which are not within the cutting range when slicing short loaves or when cutting thick slices) to be moved away from the end of the loaf to prevent cutting oir the overhang or heel, the arrangement shown in Fig. 12a is used. The slots |24 in the idle bars |20 are made longer than shown in Fig. 10, and the bars |20 are provided with V-grooves |32 on their under side. The holder |22 carries transverse shafts |33 in anges |34 thereof, on which are mounted triggers |35 tensioned by springs |38, these triggers snapping into the V-grooves |32 when the bar |20 is in the proper positions for slicing, corresponding to the ends of the slots Iin Fig. l0, and the intermediate position therein. When the band saw of any bar |20 becomes idle, the bar can be moved beyond its slicing position by pushmg it out of the trigger hold to the end of its elongated slot |24 so that it will not mutilate the overhang.

In the case of the guide racks |00 and |0|,

it may be noted that the thickness of the guide' collar |09 is greater than that of collars |08 to space the blade guides immediately outside the cutting region a thickness greater than the thickness of the end slices to prevent cutting of the heel or overhang thereon. The same is true of the comb 99 wherein the slots having a narrower spacing outside the cutting region are separated from the cutting region by teeth whose thickness is greater than the thickness of the end slices.

In Figs. 13 to 20, an adjustable blade tension unit is shown. Here, the hubs of the holders 84 of the individual tension rollers 82 are provided with vertically extending grooves |31 for the reception of shouldered rollers |38 which bear against the sides of the said grooves. The rollers |38 are supported on balls or rollers |39 resting on adjustable press plates |40 in a box consisting of a top rail |4| and a bottom rail |42 attached to end blocks |43, and of side plates |44 fastened to the bottom rail |42 and extending up to the reduced portions of the roller |38, thus retaining the rollers |38 and |39 against axial movement. The roller box extends between the arms 86 of the tension unit, its end blocks |43 being attached to said arms. The end blocks |43 are threaded for the reception of screws |45 passing through arcuate slots |46 in the side walls 38 and 43 and bearing against slides |41 which are set by these screws for the slice thickness to which the bands are adjusted. For thickest slices, the slides |41 bear against the interior of end blocks |43, see dotted position thereof in Fig. 14. For thinnest slices, the knobs of screws |45 bear against the exterior of end blocks |43, see full line position in Fig. 14, and for intermediate slice thickness, a pointer |48 on slide |41 is set at the respective mark on top rail |4|. Two sets of slides, adjusting screws, and press plates are acquired because the setting roller |49 of the center tension roller 82, which must always be in the center of the loaf L, is held stationary by cleats |50 attached to the rails |4| and |42 (Fig. 18).

The slides |41 are set to the desired slice thickness, and the plates |40 are raised by means of screws |5| to wedge the rollers |39 into intimate contact with the rollers |38, whereby the latter are all equally spaced. The position of the adjusting parts for thinnest and thickest slices is shown in Figs. .1 9 and 20, respectively. 'I'he adjusting rollers 39 are made larger in diameter than the setting rolls |38, so that for thickest slices their centers are below those of the latter, thereby insuring their quick release when lowering plates |40. To insure levelness of the plates |40 during adjustment, the screws |5| are provided with sprockets |52 and the two sprockets for each plate are connected by chains |53 so as to always turn in unison.

It will be understood that all the guide bars |20 may be provided with sets of grooves |32 for reception of spring-pressed triggers, to retain the band guides in the various positions required for diierent slice thicknesses. In the case of the outer bands, which would otherwise cut a heel much narrower than the slice thickness or mutilate the overhang thereof, they may be moved inward toward the next bands to cut a thicker heel and avoid mutilating the overhang, instead of outward as described above. Accordingly, grooves may be provided in their respective guide bars 20 to retain them in the inward position.

With' the spot-welded construction of the band guides contemplated, besides avoiding the diili- `culties inherent in forming slots of such narrow width, there is another advantage. By spot welding two flexible slices to each other at points sufficiently behind the bases of the slot so formed therebetween, flexure oi the pieces will decrease the wear on the saw bands due to their twisting into operative position.

What is claimed is:

1. in a slicer, the combination with a plurality of band saws, of means for guiding and driving said band saws, a series of guides arranged to engage said bands for maintaining a predetermined equal spacing thereof, movable members extending transversely of said band saws and rigidly connected to said guides for relatively moving the guides for separating said bands, and a device for holding said members, when they have been adjusted to effect a predetermined equal spacing of said bands at greater intervals, against further relative movement, said members being provided with notches parallel to said adjacent blade runs, and said device including a bar adapted to enter said notches, said notches being disposed in such relation to each other when said members have been adjusted to effect said greater equal spacing of said bands, to admit said bar.

2. In a slicer, the combination with a plurality of band saws, of means for guiding and driving said band saws, a series of guides arranged to engage said bands for maintaining a predetermined equal spacing thereof, a support, movable members slidably mounted on said support and rigidly connected to said guides for relatively separating said bands, and means for limiting the relative sliding movement oi said members at points corresponding to a desired minimum, maximum and intermediate separation of said bands,

said means including a series of detents arranged to engage said members and maintain them at the positions corresponding to the desired minimum, maximum and intermediate separation of said bands, and each of said members being provided with three spaced notches 'arranged to be engaged by the corresponding detent when said members are respectively at the positions corresponding to the desired minimum, maximum and intermediate separation of said bands.

3. In a slicer, the combination with a plurality of band saws, of means for guiding and driving said band saws, a series of members having slots adapted to admit and guide said'relatively movable bands, relatively movable bars extending transversely of said bands and fastened to said members for relatively moving the members and thereby separating said bands, a pin passing through said bars, the central bar having a perforation closely fitting said pin to prevent movement thereof, and the other bars having elongated slots admitting said pin, the slots in the bars at either side of the central bar extending in opposite directions and the length of the bar slots being proportioned to limit the movement of the bars relatively to the pin to establish a minimum and maximum equal spacing of the bands when the ends of the slot engage with the pin.

4, In a slicer, th'e combination with a plurality of band saws, of means for guiding and driving said band saws, a series of members having slots adapted to admit and guide said relatively movable bands, relatively movable b ars extending transversely of said bands and fastened to said members for relatively moving the members and thereby separating said bands, a pin passing through said bars, the central bar having a perforation closely fitting said pinto prevent movement thereof, and the other bars having elongated slots admitting said pin, the slots in the bars at either side of the central bar extending in opposite directions and the length of the bar slots being proportioned to limit the movement of the bars relatively to the pin to establish a minimum and maximum equal spacing of the bands when the ends of the slot engage with the pin, and a detent for limiting the movement of the bars intermediate the points at which their slot ends touch the pin, to maintain an intermediate equal spacing of the bands.

5. A bread slicer, comprising in combination, loai forwarding mechanism, a series of band saw runs arranged in transversely spaced relation across the path of a loaf mechanism, a plurality of guide members each adapted to embrace and guide one of said runs, means mounting each of said guide members for transverse movement relative to said path and relatively to each other to adjust the spacing of said band runs, and means for moving said guide member mounting means to displace said bands from one series of equally spaced positions into another series of equally spaced positions having a greater or less spacing than the first series in order to out slices of different thickness including a series of elongated elements connected one to each of said guide members and extending laterally of said path and an immovable member coacting with juxtaposed portions of said elongated elements to maintain said guide members in any one of a plurality of predetermined equispaced positions 6. A bread slicer, comprising in combination, loaf forwarding mechanism, `a series of band saw runs arranged in transversely spaced relation across the path of a loaf forwarded by said mechanism, a plurality of guide members each adapted to embrace and guide one of said runs, means mounting each of said guide members for transverse movement relative to said path and relatively to each' other to adjust the spacing of said band runs, and means for moving said guide member mounting means to displace said bands from one series of equally spaced positions into another series of equally spaced positions having a greater or less spacing than the first series in order to cut slices of different thickness including a series of elongated elements connected one to each of said guide members and extending laterally of said path and means coacting with said elongated elements to maintain said guide members in any one of a plurality of predetermined equispaced positions, said elements including bars adapted to be manually moved lengthwise and transversely of said path to any desired position and said coacting means including abutment surfaces on said bars and immovable gauge means for engaging said abutment surfaces.

7. In a slicer, the combination with a plurality of band saws, of means for guiding and driving said bands, guides engaging said bands for maintaining a predetermined equal spacing thereof, relatively movable members supporting said guides and `adapted to be displaced with the guides to a variety of positions corresponding to various predetermined equal spacings of the bands, and a series of stationary latches adapted to engage the said members and maintain them in the various positions to which they are displaced with the guides for establishing the various spacings of the bands.

PHIL G. SCHLEMMER.

forwarded by said` 

